We’ve all heard the phrase, “don’t buy into the hype.” But what happens when society moves so fast hype starts setting the trends? What happens when businesses are making potentially door-closing decisions on a whim because of the staggering pace at which their industry moves, and murmurs from one niche of the Internet lure them into a corner of no return? What happens when one rapper – no, one human being, in general – happens to land smack-dab in the middle of this once-in-a-lifetime portal of technological prosperity?

Well, apparently he turns a single “Peso” into one of the largest initial record deals the genre has ever seen.

That’s right, in case you haven’t heard, that “pretty motherf*#cker” A$AP is telling Pitchfork he walked away from his recent Sony/RCA/Polo Grounds Music deal with $3 million. When I read that, I immediately starting cussing in public. Not because I dislike dude’s music or downplay his string of recent success, but because throwing around that amount of cash to an artist coasting on a buzz just doesn’t add up in the current state of this industry.

When Drake had the hottest mixtape in the country and earned nationwide radio success, he signed with Young Money four months after the fact. The process was drawn out and he still ended up reportedly getting one million less than ASAP. How is that possible? For most business professionals, having a reputable brand and legit profits like Drizzy did are the only things that warrant a start-up sum that substantial. In the Harlem MC’s case, it took less than a year of online banter and a single song getting a few plays on NY radio to earn the 23-year-old more money than most folks will make in their entire lifetimes. It’s a scenario so unlikely, you begin to realize why the oh-so-elusive American Dream is just that: a dream, to so many of us stuck doing seemingly so much more than rocking a mic, smoking purple and drinking lean.

But, then again, we aren’t ASAP Rocky. He lives in the mecca of the genre, thriving off the biggest fan-base any city in the world could offer and slangs a style that’s just as much of a melting pot as his surroundings. And, while his local competition is too prideful to stray away from its concrete roots, Rocky revels in embracing his outsourced swag, which David D. alluded to previously. With that almost-patented gold-grill smile, the MC with a government name of Rakim is both an easy and ironic answer to a question that’s been posed since Chris Wallace passed and Jay became too Forbes to carry the one NY torch that doesn’t hover over the Hudson river.

The people at PGM hope so, at least. The full-service Big Apple label might be backed by a legacy, but in its five-year existence, the hip-hop/R&B provider only put out four releases, which include two from Hurricane Chris and one from Pitbull. And, while they may have albums from Yo Gotti and Avery Storm on the way, do they really have enough experience to turn around an Internet-famed artist whose come up so quickly?

Well, they better when considering label-head Bryan Leach is literally banking on ASAP’s music. If undefinable tracks like this new, Clams-Casino-produced “Bass” don’t entice hip-hop fans enough to make them believe that when LiveLoveA$AP finally drops this Halloween, NY really is back, then their whole operation is at risk. If it turns into the next So Far Gone, though, well…the rest could be history.

As an extra, take a look at the video below which includes a look at Rocky’s NYC mixtape listening session and an interview, which begins around the 2:50 mark and catches the young MC speaking on his affinity for high-end fashion, how the ASAP crew formed and receiving sage wisdom from Dave Chappelle. Footage courtesy of IFWT.

A$AP Rocky – “Bass” (Prod. by Clams Casino)

Update: Rocky speaks with VladTV and speaks briefly on the figures and rumors surrounding his deal. To loosely quote, he says he doesn’t have $3 million personally but the deal is worth that much.

I didn’t look up his music after the last post y’all had about him so this is the first song i’ve heard from dude and this isn’t a bad first impression. Idk how a full project would sound but i’ll check it out.

wow…if that’s true it’s an incredibly reckless move for sony. granted they’re a big company with a fair amount of money to burn, and i bet they’re hoping ASAP is gonna be the next Wiz. But it’s so hard to sell records. Less than 10 rappers can consistently do it, and when you talk to most people about ASAP right now, they’re still like, who?

I think somebody already debunked that 3 mil story aas exaggeration but either way i think dude is gonna blow. He can actually rap and his really humble.
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I saw somebody tweet about that, but nothing concrete to say it wasn’t true. Any articles?

10.30.11 at 3:04 pm

Gotty™

I haven’t seen anyone confirm/deny the money part of the deal. It’s hard to take any rapper on just their word though, word to Rick Ross.

“How is that possible? For most business professionals, having a reputable brand and legit profits like Drizzy did are the only things that warrant a start-up sum that substantial.”

I don’t quite agree. Those things determine whether or not someone gets signed. Think about it, artists don’t need more money to keep the same fans. No, a label’s goal is to make an artist as big as they think is possible. That is what this 3 million sum represents. Sony thinks he could be a giant. Whether or not they’re right, only time will tell. But they see something in the kid. Something worth a lot more than 3 million.

Sony has helped setup Odd Future Records on SONY/Red and they signed Kreayshawn. I’m not suprised about A$AP. No one from Sony is gonna dispute the amount, because well its their artist. He got love out the gate from nytimes/p4k/fader for ‘peso’ & ‘purple swag’ which generated each video to have 500k+views. Him getting to those ‘music media elite’ makes all the difference. He’ll be out on tour with Drake this winter making money for himself & the label

I think it’s fair to say that Sony wants something big, and is willing to take risks to get it. When was the last time a rapper really blew up? It’s bound to happen again, and sooner rather than later.

You dont believe him? I thought rappers were the poster boys of honesty and integrity? Rakim had the first million dollar signing bonus for the 18th Letter, and that was in the mid 90s when rap albums were selling by the boatload. My man’s son’s name is Rakim and everybody calls him Rocky too.

I’ve heard some people who were at the listening session say that his mixtape is the real deal. But you also would have thought that Watch The Throne was the second coming of The Blueprint going off of what people based off the listening session. We’ll know tomorrow when it comes out. Or maybe the next day, since I know most people here are going to be bumping Gibbs.

but in its five-year existence, the hip-hop/R&B provider only put out four releases, which include two from Hurricane Chris and one from Pitbull

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That little tidbit makes me raise an eyebrow.

I think Rocky is good but didn’t think 3 million dollar contract good. Didn’t think Kreayshawn was worth anything more than her press on nails and Hello Kitty stickers but she’s sitting on a million dollar contract.

He kinda looks like Ochocinco.
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Yeah he does. I was trying to figure out who it was he looked like. Dude is talented from the little stuff I heard but I think it’s hard to justify the contract. Anyway, does anybody know what Jay Electronica’s deal was?

I listened to the guy earlier. I like Purple Swag. But I find it annoying how he says he don’t talk about the same shit other NY Mc’s but his content is all the same. Ain’t worth 3 Milli. He’s got potential I suppose.

One thing that ASAP, Kreayshawn, & Odd Future have going for them is their music videos. People don’t realize how important music videos still are. Everybody can give away music. Music is cheap. Videos aren’t. Especially well done videos. Having good visuals can make or break stars. It might sound crazy now, but there was a time when TRL decided what went on the radio, it wasn’t the other way around.